The bodycam footage of a police officer captured chaos that erupted at a hotel shelter for migrants north of New York City this week as officers tried to make an arrest but were met with resistance.
A video released by the Yonkers Police Department starts with a caller telling a dispatcher that a “guy is over here unruly”, and “he gets very violent with everyone” at a Ramada Inn hotel in Yonkers.
The caller demanded, “He is throwing things at everyone. Please send someone here immediately.”
The video shows police officers struggling to arrest a man, who has been identified by the police as Arnal Kent, 35.
A woman named Yainilet Hernández can be seen at one point trying to stop an officer from opening a cruiser door.
“Move the way!” Over the shouts from the crowd gathered to see the arrest, a voice can be heard repeatedly saying “Move out the way!”
Police said that after Kent refused to obey their repeated requests to move, officers had to push Hernandez to the side to safely arrest him in the back of the car. “Hernandez tried to pull the Officers away” from Kent.
Later, the bodycam footage shows Hernandez being taken to the ground and arrested by police.
Yonkers Police reported that when officers attempted to handcuff Hernandez, she immediately pulled back from several officers and tried to strike multiple officers with her hands. In this struggle, an officer sustained injuries to his wrist and right knee. He was then placed off duty.
Kent, who was released on an appearance ticket following charges of menacing and disorderly conduct as well as obstruction of government administration and resisting the arrest, claimed that he had arrived from Venezuela to the U.S. in the fall. He also claimed that the hotel staff mistreated him and other migrants in the Ramada Inn.
According to the Yonkers Police Department, the NYC Department of Homeless Services relocated 250 migrants and their children to the Yonkers Ramada Inn in May 2023.
ABC7 reported that other migrants have told them that hotel staff had entered their rooms without warning and asked them to remove dangerous appliances like hot pots.
One migrant told the station that “my iron, my hairdryer, things for work, have disappeared”, and that other migrants have reported money and jewelry stolen.
Hernandez was released on bail following charges of assault, obstruction to government administration, and resisting arrest.
Ramada Inn & Westhab, an organization Yonkers Police says “provides full-time coverage for those who are housed there including contracted security terms and housing provided”.
